Latest news with #NationalSchoolFoodProgram
The Province
05-05-2025
- Politics
- The Province
Vancouver city councillors look to reinstate funding for school meal programs
The city's funding of school meal programs is a small investment for a big reward, says councillor who wants the funding reinstated after cuts 'We would like to reinstate the funding so kids don't go hungry,' said Vancouver city councillor Pete Fry. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG Councillors Peter Fry and Rebecca Bligh have introduced a motion asking the City of Vancouver to reinstate its funding for meal programs in the school district. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Since 2014, the city has provided $320,000 from its annual operating budget to support 3,500 meals each weekday through various programs, including the Food4Schools lunch program, which subsidizes meals to 258 students across 17 schools. Earlier this month, the city announced a reduction in its funding from $320,000 in 2024 to just $162,500 in 2025, citing 'significant budget pressures' and anticipation of 'substantive funding' from the province. However, Fry said, 'It has become apparent that the province is not providing the level of funding that was expected.' In March 2025, the B.C. Government entered into an agreement with the Government of Canada through the National School Food Program (NSFP), which provides approximately $39 million over three years in additional school food program funding. But Fry and Bligh are concerned that the way the province is allocating the money will leave gaps impacting kids in Vancouver. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'There was an expectation that this new funding from the feds was to be distributed by the province and replace the funding the city of Vancouver was providing, but the province had a different funding model in mind.' Fry said that the funding will be allocated using a provincial formula socioeconomic status index for each school within the district. The 'needs assessment' model 'can inadvertently exclude some individuals who may not meet strict eligibility criteria but still experience food insecurity,' said Fry. Shortly after the city announced their cuts to the Vancouver School District meals programs, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and Nicola Wealth announced a joint donation of $170,000 to make up the shortfall and support the continuation of the Food4Schools program. 'We are very grateful that Nicola Wealth and the Food Bank are doing this,' said Fry, but he said it's important to ensure the city's funding is reinstated, and continues on a long-term basis. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. A meal program for Vancouver students that had lost more than half of its city funding will receive a massive one-time donation to ensure students facing food insecurity will continue to be fed. From left to right, John Nicola of Nicola Wealth, CEO David Long of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, Vancouver School Board Trustee Victoria Jung, and Vancouver City Coun. Rebecca Bligh post for a photo at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank (GVFB) in Vancouver, B.C., April 16, 2025. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG 'We would like to reinstate the funding so kids don't go hungry,' said Fry. 'I see a lot of hungry kids in my neighbourhood Strathcona, and that contributes to kids struggling in school. It's about concentration and focus on schoolwork, and when you are hungry, it's a lot harder.' According to the 2021 Canadian Community Health Survey, only 22.1 per cent of youth ages 12 to 17 report consuming at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. While it is not normally the responsibility of municipal governments to fund school lunch programs, Fry believes it's important to keep what was already in place to ensure no child is left hungry. 'We want to position young Vancouverites to do the best they possibly can, and improve their lives and living as best as we can. In the grand scheme of things it's a relatively small investment for the City,' said Fry. The motion goes to council on May 7. dryan@ — With Vancouver Sun files Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks News Vancouver Whitecaps News
Vancouver Sun
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Vancouver city councillors look to reinstate funding for school meal programs
Article content Councillors Peter Fry and Rebecca Bligh have introduced a motion asking the City of Vancouver to reinstate its funding for meal programs in the school district. Article content Article content Since 2014, the city has provided $320,000 from its annual operating budget to support 3,500 meals each weekday through various programs, including the Food4Schools lunch program, which subsidizes meals to 258 students across 17 schools. Article content Article content Earlier this month, the city announced a reduction in its funding from $320,000 in 2024 to just $162,500 in 2025, citing 'significant budget pressures' and anticipation of 'substantive funding' from the province. Article content Article content However, Fry said, 'It has become apparent that the province is not providing the level of funding that was expected.' Article content In March 2025, the B.C. Government entered into an agreement with the Government of Canada through the National School Food Program (NSFP), which provides approximately $39 million over three years in additional school food program funding. But Fry and Bligh are concerned that the way the province is allocating the money will leave gaps impacting kids in Vancouver. Article content 'There was an expectation that this new funding from the feds was to be distributed by the province and replace the funding the city of Vancouver was providing, but the province had a different funding model in mind.' Article content Fry said that the funding will be allocated using a provincial formula socioeconomic status index for each school within the district. Article content Article content The 'needs assessment' model 'can inadvertently exclude some individuals who may not meet strict eligibility criteria but still experience food insecurity,' said Fry. Article content Article content Shortly after the city announced their cuts to the Vancouver School District meals programs, the Greater Vancouver Food Bank and Nicola Wealth announced a joint donation of $170,000 to make up the shortfall and support the continuation of the Food4Schools program. Article content 'We are very grateful that Nicola Wealth and the Food Bank are doing this,' said Fry, but he said it's important to ensure the city's funding is reinstated, and continues on a long-term basis. Article content Article content 'We would like to reinstate the funding so kids don't go hungry,' said Fry. 'I see a lot of hungry kids in my neighbourhood Strathcona, and that contributes to kids struggling in school. It's about concentration and focus on schoolwork, and when you are hungry, it's a lot harder.'
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Yukon signs $7.4m school food program agreement with Ottawa
WHITEHORSE — Yukon and the federal government have reached a $7.4-million agreement to improve school food for students in the territory. The agreement will see the federal government invest the funding over the next three years through the National School Food Program to Yukon, where about 6,200 students currently use the system. Federal Families, Children and Social Development Minister Jenna Sudds says in a statement that the funding will go toward upgrading kitchens, purchasing food and providing more nutritious meals to students. Sudds says the improved school meals can ensure that "children can reach their potential because they are focused in the classroom.' In a separate statement, Yukon Education Minister Jeanie McLean says the funding will "improve students' physical and mental health, enhances their learning outcomes" and ultimately strengthen local food systems and boost the economy. Earlier in the day, the federal government also reached a $16-million deal with Saskatchewan and a $42-million agreement with Alberta on enhancing school meals, with both deals also spreading the funding over three years. This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2025. The Canadian Press
CBC
10-03-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Sask. 2nd-last province to sign on to National School Food Program
Social Sharing School food programs in Saskatchewan are going to be available for more students in more schools. On Monday, the province and the federal government announced an agreement under the National School Food Program that will see the federal government spend about $15.8 million over the next three years. The money, which will be used to expand and enhance school food programs in the province, was welcomed by Shawn Davidson, president of the Saskatchewan School Boards Association. "Essentially, this money amounts to nearly a doubling of existing investment in school food," he said in an interview. "It's quite significant for school divisions and we're very happy to be able to roll out some additional opportunities for students." School boards have been advocating for more support for nutritional programs in schools. Saskatchewan has the second-highest child poverty rate among of the provinces, with nearly one-fifth of children experiencing poverty, according to information provided by the school board association. About half the schools in the province offer some form of food program, often in partnership with school boards and community-based organizations. "When kids are hungry, they can't focus, it's that simple," Jenna Sudds, federal minister of families, children and social development, said in a statement. "That's why we're making sure more kids in Saskatchewan get healthy meals at school. Filling their bellies with nutritious food will set them up for success. It also helps parents save hundreds on groceries." Details about how the federal funding would be used were scarce on Monday, despite the fact Saskatchewan is the second-last province to sign on to the program. When the first provinces signed on last fall, government announcements specified how many students would benefit (a further 4,100 kids in Newfoundland and Labrador and 19,080 kids in Manitoba, for example). But in Saskatchewan, the announcement referred only to "more students." No one in the provincial Ministry of Education was made available for an interview, and the department responded to a short list of questions with a two-sentence statement that did not answer the questions. "We are pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with the federal government to expand on our government's ongoing record of delivering nutritious food to children across the province," the ministry's statement said. "This funding builds on the work being done through the Saskatchewan Child Nutrition Program which has assisted school divisions and community-based organizations to provide healthy meals to Saskatchewan students for 35 years." Saskatchewan and the Yukon both announced agreements under the National School Food Program on Monday, leaving Alberta as the only province or territory that has not signed on. Provinces have also been signing agreements to extend the federal child-care program until 2031. However, Saskatchewan and Alberta are the only two provinces that have not yet signed agreements on that.
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
B.C. signs agreement with feds to expand school food programs
The province and federal government have reached a funding agreement to expand B.C.'s school meal programs, with the province saying it's committed to sourcing local food for them. The $39.4 million in federal funding, dispersed over a three-year period, will enhance school food programs at more than 1,000 schools across the province, according to a statement from Employment and Social Development Canada. "It will give students the opportunity to have a full belly and really reach their full potential," said Jenna Sudds, the federal minister of families, children and social development. Sudds said 90,000 B.C. kids will benefit from the programs. Students at David Thompson Secondary school are pictured cooking food alongside Jenna Sudds, the federal minister of families, children and social development, and Lisa Beare, B.C. minister of education and child care. The politicians visited the school on Friday where they announced a new agreement between the two governments to fund school food programs. (Ben Nelms/CBC) For families with two children in school, they will save an estimated $800 in grocery bills per year, according to the ministry's statement. Carolyn Broady, president of the School Trustees Association, applauded the funding. "This is crucial funding for our rural and remote communities, where access to school food programs can often be limited," she said in a statement. "The enhancements to breakfast and lunch programs will be particularly impactful, providing much-needed support to families in these areas." Students at David Thompson Secondary school are pictured cooking food as part of the National School Food Program in Vancouver on Friday. (Ben Nelms/CBC) An instructor supports students at David Thompson Secondary school with meal prep in Vancouver on Friday. (Ben Nelms/CBC) Lisa Beare, minister of education and child care, said B.C. has had school food programs in ninety per cent of its schools since 2023. The increased funding means the programs will reach more students. "We now can expand the amount of kids we are providing service to because no kids should learn on an empty stomach." Beare also noted the uncertainty of the economy given the ongoing threat of tariffs from the United States, and the need to support B.C. agriculture and farming. "I will be working with school boards to make sure we can do everything possible to make sure these programs source local food." B.C. is the 10th province or territory to sign an agreement with the feds as part of its National School Food Program initiative.
